Seventy-six people were killed and 95 others injured in 127 crashes across Vietnam during the four-day National Day (September 2) holiday starting last Friday, with nearly 9,400 drivers caught breaking the breath alcohol concentration rule, the central traffic police agency reported.
Compared to the same period last year, the numbers of crashes increased by 48 cases, or 61 percent, and those with deaths and injuries rose by 28 and 44, or 58 and 86 percent, respectively, according to the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department.
Of the total accidents, 125 occurred on roads, killing 73 people and injuring 95 people, and the remaining were on railways, the department said, adding that no crashes occurred on waterways.
These accidents mainly resulted from travelers’ neglect of traffic safety rules, said Tran Huu Minh, chief of staff of the National Traffic Safety Committee.
A car hit five motorbikes at a red light on National Highway 1A in Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam on September 2 morning, injuring five people, one of whom suffered serious injuries.
Notably, the car driver who caused the accident is only 16 years old, not old enough to steer a car as per current laws.
Another dangerous incident happened when a crowd of youths and teenagers were illegally speeding on their motorbikes on the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway section in Hanoi before being pulled over by traffic police officers.
During the past four days, traffic police nationwide have handled 34,806 traffic safety violations, imposed fines of more than VND72.25 billion (US$3.02 million) on the violators, impounded over 12,600 vehicles of all types, and revoked 7,166 driver’s licenses.
Police also detected 9,390 cases violating the breath alcohol concentration rule, 514 cases higher than in the same period last year.
In addition, 6,233 overspeeding cases and 20 drivers testing positive for drugs were also penalized.
On expressways alone, traffic police forces handled 198 violations, issued total fines of VND692 million ($28,947), revoked 70 driver’s licenses, and temporarily seized 14 vehicles.
In Vietnam, memorial services are conducted in November annually to commemorate the dead victims of traffic accidents and call for strict compliance with traffic rules.
Such events are aimed at responding to the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, which falls on the third Sunday in November each year, as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005.
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